Indian dagger?

[Jim McDougall]

"...is this a dagger which I see before me?"
Macbeth II, i, 33

Yay!!!

Most definitely 'Central Asia', which includes Afghanistan and Uzbekistan and some of the other 'stans'.....but not sure if geopolitically Pakistan or NW Frontier where similiar items are still produced or at least reworked, is in the Central Asia denominator (at least this week.

The hilt reminds me of Uzbek/Afghan 'shashkas' which are actually tough to discern in difference, and different than the 19th century Uzbek sabres shown in Torben Flindt's "Some Nineteenth Century Arms from Bukhara" (R.Elgood, ed, "Islamic Arms & Armour", London, 1979, p.22).

The dagger blade suggests a form of pesh kabz in the rather confusing confluence of these regional forms which include karud, pesh kabz, choora, bard, bytchak et al. It seems the Afghan pesh kabz typically has a more hooked, non cleft pommel (Holstein, 1931, plate XX, #12, which is captioned from Bhawalpur, Sind ), and an inset in varying degree at the base of the blade.Many of these are reinforced for mail piercing which brings in the collective term zirah bonk (Persian term). Good point Tim notes on the triangular motif in linear at forte, an Afghan amuletic affectation in folk religion of there and other Central Asian regions.

Best regards,
Jim